SUNDERLAND MAKE CONTRACT DECISION ON EXPERIENCED DUO AS SUMMER REBUILDING BEGINS

Sunderland are understood to have made a decision on the players out of contract this summer

Sunderland captain Corry Evans is set to leave the club when his contract expires this summer.

Evans had made a successful return from a major ACL injury that kept him on the sidelines for well over a year in recent weeks, but is understood to have been informed that the club will not offer him a new deal this week. Sunderland have been holding meetings with players ahead of the summer break this week, with Evans one of only a few not under contract for next season.

It's also expected that Bradley Dack will leave the club this summer, with Sunderland set to turn down the chance to trigger their one-year extension clause.

Evans was a key figure in the club's promotion from League One at the fourth time of asking, and was an influential player as they established themselves in the second tier before suffering that knee injury in a game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light in January 2023. Though his departure will not come as a major surprise, it means an inexperienced squad will lose one of its key leaders. It also leaves the club with a clear lack of depth in central midfield ahead of the summer transfer window.

Dack has struggled to secure a regular place in the starting XI due to injury over the course of the campaign, making 17 appearances across all competitions but only a handful of starts. Sunderland are also weighing up whether or not to take up their option to convert Callum Styles' loan from Barnsley into a permanent deal.

2024-05-07T15:47:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd